Three carboys, Two stoppers.... uh oh!

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dunnright00

dunnright00

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So, while making my batch yesterday I was finishing up the boil and getting the carboy cleaned up along with the airlock and the stopper.

Wait, I don't have any more stoppers! I've never had more than two batches going at the same time before!! Panic!!

I decide to make a temporary seal using a ziplock bag opened up and some rubber bands to hold it on. In the fermenter I have 5 gal of Apfelwein and 5 gal of a Newcastle clone. 20$ worth of juice, or 60$ worth of malt hops and yeast? Sorry apfelwein, you're getting the ghetto treatment!

I checked it this morning and I don't think I sealed it very good. Gonna pick up a new stopper on the way home tonight. Hopefully I won't have 5 gallons of sour juice waiting for me.

P.S. I also found out that I can't fit two 5-gal carboys and one 6.5-gal carboy in my fridge/fermentation chamber.

Guess I'll have to slow down a bit.
 
RW_Core_Carton.jpg
 
PseudoChef said:
RW_Core_Carton.jpg
Click to expand...

Another prop for the foil.

Upon completion of one of my last brews (a special bitter) I realized that I didn't have an unused stopper and it was sunday (LHBS closed sun and mon). Covered the carboy lip with foil and made a note to replace with airlock later that week.

Fast forward to 3 weeks after pitching - I'd forgotten to replace the foil with an airlock and there are no noticable oxidation or contamination issues.
 
Some people do foil all the time w/o any airlocks. Apfelwein was probably a good choice for the rube-dube treatment My only concern using foil would be the beer's blow off, and my apfelweins rarely have that problem...
 
dunnright00 said:
So, while making my batch yesterday I was finishing up the boil and getting the carboy cleaned up along with the airlock and the stopper.

Wait, I don't have any more stoppers! I've never had more than two batches going at the same time before!! Panic!!

I decide to make a temporary seal using a ziplock bag opened up and some rubber bands to hold it on. In the fermenter I have 5 gal of Apfelwein and 5 gal of a Newcastle clone. 20$ worth of juice, or 60$ worth of malt hops and yeast? Sorry apfelwein, you're getting the ghetto treatment!

I checked it this morning and I don't think I sealed it very good. Gonna pick up a new stopper on the way home tonight. Hopefully I won't have 5 gallons of sour juice waiting for me.

P.S. I also found out that I can't fit two 5-gal carboys and one 6.5-gal carboy in my fridge/fermentation chamber.

Guess I'll have to slow down a bit.
Click to expand...

PseudoChef said:
RW_Core_Carton.jpg
Click to expand...

36.gif


Although, I use foil over the mouth of primary fermenters. Condoms with a pinhole in the end have been used as airlocks for ghetto fermenting, though.
 
Munsoned said:
Some people do foil all the time w/o any airlocks.
Click to expand...

So, just foil? No holes?

I have the airlock sitting in the top of the carboy, with foil wrapped around it.

I thought about stopping by the LHBS last night, but I'm gonna bottle one of them in a couple of days anyhow. I may just wait.
 
dunnright00 said:
So, just foil? No holes?

I have the airlock sitting in the top of the carboy, with foil wrapped around it.

I thought about stopping by the LHBS last night, but I'm gonna bottle one of them in a couple of days anyhow. I may just wait.
Click to expand...

I sanitize the foil and wrap it loosely around the neck of the carboy. No airlock. Once the krausen settles down, I swap for an airlock.
 
Interesting. Well, like I said it's on the Apfeltraubenwein so, no krausen and it's already been fermenting for over a week.
 
thats bleeping great. I have a stopper inside of a stopper with an airlock. i picked up a new 6.5. never thought too much about it. I have over a dozen of stoppers, all with the larger hole. so, i had to make the choice, double stop the mead in the secondary or risk the porter before i leave for a week. (porter wins) pshew lucky, pressure in the carboy with the mead. note to self....check everything before spending 6 hours brewing!
 

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